Christmas Wishes 2
by robertwnielsen
Summary: Summary – Another year, another Christmas wish from Caitlin.  What is she wishing for this year?


_Christmas Wishes 2_

_Disclaimer – _As always, the characters belong to either Bellisario or Universal...I'm just taking them out to play again since neither Bellisario or Universal does anymore.

_A/N – _Events in this story will, as always, have no effect on my main story arcs, and for timeline purposes, take place a year after the events depicted in CW 1. (Making this somewhat of an AU fic).

_Summary – _Another year, another Christmas wish from Caitlin. What is she wishing for this year?

_It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..._ Stringfellow Hawke had never understood the Christmas season. Not being a big believer in God, he had a hard time wrapping his head around the whole Christmas concept—at least, until last year. After a gathering for his friend, Bobby Phelps' youth group, Caitlin O'Shannessy had decided to sit on "Santa's" lap, and confessed her own Christmas wish—_to hear four special words from Hawke, _he recalled. _So, she got to hear them. _And, he had to admit, life had been a lot better since he finally acknowledged, and admitted, his feelings for her.

As she helped Dom hang some decorations off one of the helicopters, Caitlin glanced over at Hawke, who was on the phone with Sister Monica, arranging for the youth group's next visit with Santa Claus. _I have to admit...this past year has been incredible, _Caitlin thought to herself. _String is as happy as I've ever seen him, and I like to think that I'm a big reason for that, _she smiled to herself. _Of course, I'm happy, too. I just...want so much more, _she admitted to herself. Even though she'd only been serious with Hawke for the past year, she knew in her heart that it was time to take their relationship beyond just dating, to something more permanent. _But, I know Hawke...he's an old-fashioned guy, so if anybody's gonna propose, it's gonna have to be him, _Caitlin sighed to herself. Then, she remembered – Bobby's youth group was coming in three days. _Well...it worked once, _Caitlin said to herself, _there's no reason to think it won't work again. _She knew, of course, that since she and Hawke went out somewhere every night, she was going to have an awfully hard time keeping her wishes secret for the next two nights.

_Uh-oh...Cait's got that look in her eyes again, _Dominic Santini noticed as she climbed down from the ladder she'd been perched on. _What could she be wishing for _**this **_time, I wonder? She's already got String...wait a second. Don't tell me she wants String to..._ Dom's thoughts were suddenly interrupted as Caitlin walked over to him. "Dom? You look like you were a million miles away just now. What's up?"

Dom shook his head, as if he were trying to clear a cobweb from it, and said, "Sorry, Cait...just noticing you seemed to have something else on _your _mind, that's all. Want to talk about it?"

"What? Oh...nah, it's nothing," she replied with her trademark smile. "Just some wishful thinking, that's all," she assured him as she went back to work.

_Uh-huh. Right, _Dom grunted to himself. _If you think I believe that, Caitlin...you've got another think coming. I didn't just fall off the pizza wagon, you know. _Dom chuckled to himself, as he wondered if String would really consider Cait as a possible lifelong partner. _Heck, I don't see why not, _Dom asserted to himself. _They've gotten so close, they practically finish each other's sentences now...so why doesn't he make it official? _Dom knew Caitlin was worried, not only about where their relationship was going, but about how her family would react. _If I know Cait's mom, she'd be furious if she thought that String wasn't looking at Caitlin as a potential wife, _Dom thought to himself. _To me, it only seems natural—they love each other...so why not?_

Hawke, meanwhile, was wrestling with a stubborn hanger for some tinsel, that absolutely refused to stay where he wanted it, but also, and perhaps more urgently, wrestling with his own feelings and emotions about Caitlin. _Why do I get the feeling she wants something more from me than just a 'boyfriend,' _he asked himself as the stubborn piece of metal finally stayed where it was. _If I didn't know better, I'd think she wants...well...would it be so bad if I asked her to marry me? _Hawke was honestly surprised he even had to debate that question. _No, it wouldn't. I mean...we love each other, so why wouldn't we want to be together, forever? We already know we're good together,_ he admitted, as he thought of the last year as they'd gotten to know each other and developed more deep appreciations for the other person.

Then Hawke recalled that Bobby's youth group was coming in three days. _Since she made the wish about us getting together last year, would it surprise me if she asked Santa for another wish this year? One concerning...a ring, maybe? Hmm..._

That night when Dom flew him back to the cabin, String asked him to come a little earlier to pick him up the next morning. "What's up, String?" Dom asked.

"I've...I've got somethin' to talk to you about, Dom...and I don't want Cait to know about it," String said mysteriously, before he got out of the helicopter back at the cabin.

The next day, Dom made sure they got to the office early in the morning, before Caitlin showed up. "Hey, Dom...come in here for a second," Hawke called out, and motioned Dominic toward the office door. Once Dom came in and closed the door behind him, he said, "What's up, String? Something you don't want the world to hear? And, why'd you want to get here so dad-blamed early, anyway?"

Reaching into the pocket of his flight jacket, Hawke pulled out a small, maroon velvet box. "I wanted to show you...this, before Caitlin gets here," Hawke replied, and opened the box to reveal a stunning, two carat, oval cut diamond ring. "Think she'll like it?"

"The only reason she wouldn't is if she didn't think...String? Are you thinking what I _hope_ you're thinking?" Dominic held his breath, anticipating the answer.

"Yeah, Dom...if I know Cait, and I think I do know her pretty well by now, she's got another Christmas wish for you on Thursday. And, if my hunch is right, it revolves around this," he said as he closed the ring box and put it in his pocket once again. "So, I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"String, I have only one thing to say...it's about time, goddammit!" Dominic's face split into a huge, ear-to-ear grin as he grabbed String and pulled his surrogate son into a hug. "Yeah, I think you're right...about Cait's wish, that is. And, if we play it right, she won't go through one of those worry episodes, like happened last year."

Hawke remembered walking back into the hangar and seeing Caitlin nearly in tears, after she thought Hawke wasn't going to make her Christmas wish last year come true. "Yeah, Dom. I remember her face last year, before we went up to the cabin. I don't want to see her like that again...so let's try and figure something out, okay?" Dominic smiled at his friend, and the two of them began going over ideas on how to make this Christmas wish one Caitlin would remember for the rest of her life.

The next day, Wednesday, Caitlin thought she sensed something strange in Hawke. _Something's going on in his head, _Caitlin worried, _but he won't tell me what it is. I sure hope nothing's wrong, _she thought to herself, especially after the past few weeks, which had seen them getting a lot closer. She started having thoughts about the future—_and that __future includes String, _she said to herself firmly. She knew they hadn't been romantically involved that long, but she already couldn't imagine her life without Hawke. _After all, I almost lost him once before, _Caitlin said to herself with a small shudder, as she recalled the events two years ago, at the Horn compound.

_Flashback_

Dressed in a stolen soldier's uniform, Caitlin entered Hawke's room after she saw Angelica Horn walk out, before Hawke could close and lock the door. Hawke hadn't seen her at first, but when he turned around, he found Caitlin in the room. He didn't recognize her, thanks to the brainwashing drugs he'd been subjected to by John Bradford Horn's "doctors."

Hawke stared at the unfamiliar newcomer in the room as if he were looking at a total stranger. She stared right back at him, and tried to get him to recognize her as the friend that she was. His expression hardened, and he had shouted, _"SPY!"_ at her, just before he attacked her.

Fortunately for Caitlin, her time with the Pope County sheriff's department had involved heavy training in hand-to-hand combat when she went through the police academy, and she was quickly able to turn the tables on Hawke and inject him with an antidote chemical that Archangel had given her. He had warned her not to use it "unless it was absolutely necessary," due to the side effects, which, in up to a third of the tests, included death. But, Caitlin felt it was worth the risk, even as Hawke slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Caitlin tried to get Hawke to recover, but he quickly stopped moving, and his breathing appeared to have stopped as well. Caitlin became despondent, pounding on Hawke's unconscious body and screaming, _"NO! I THOUGHT IT WOULD HELP YOU! NO!" _and finally collapsing against his chest.

_End Flashback_

_Fortunately, Archangel's drug worked, _Caitlin mused, _and Hawke came back to us...to **me**. Even though it did take him another two years to realize how he felt about me. _She thought back over the last two years, all the frustrations she'd experienced when she would try to bring them closer together, and Hawke continually pushed her away. _Not many women would have stuck around, _she admitted to herself, _but I knew we'd get past it if Hawke would just admit how he felt. And, _she smiled to herself as memories of that day a year ago flooded her mind again, _he finally did. _

_It did seem a little strange, Hawke taking me all the way to the cabin, just to tell me how he felt, _Caitlin admitted to herself, but she figured she wouldn't have had it any other way. _It's so romantic up there, _she thought to herself. _The few times we've been there alone, up until last year, I've wanted to kiss him absolutely stupid...among other things I've wanted us to do. _She stopped her reminiscing as Hawke came into the hangar, and embraced her warmly.

_Ah, that does my heart a lot of good, _Dominic mused to himself as he watched Hawke and Caitlin exchange a loving embrace. _There was a time I thought he'd never admit how he felt about that girl...even though everybody around him could see it, _he laughed to himself, _including me._

"So, Cait...any special wishes for tomorrow?" Hawke asked out of sheer curiosity.

"That, String, is my little secret," she answered him with a smile. _If you think I'm gonna tell you what __I'm wishing for this year, buddy boy, then you've got another think coming!_

Just from the look in her eyes when he asked, Hawke knew she had a special wish on her mind for when Bobby's youth group met "Santa" tomorrow, _she's just not telling me, _he mumbled to himself. "Okay, I get the hint," Hawke replied with a grin, as he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. _Of course, I think I already know what her Christmas wish is this year. And, if I'm right, it will come true, _Hawke thought to himself with a smile.

"What's got you in such a good mood, String?" Caitlin queried, her blue-green eyes focused on him.

"Nothing, Cait...just thinking about you, that's all," Hawke replied, and added to himself..._and the look on your face tomorrow when your next Christmas wish comes true._

_Uh-huh. Right. If you think I believe that one, buster, you've got another think coming!_ Caitlin didn't allow her angry retort to become verbal, instead; she simply nodded at String and smiled again, before walking to the mailbox with a stack of letters and bills.

"Somehow, String, I don't think she bought that," Dom said as they watched her walk away. "You gonna be able to keep this a secret 'til tomorrow morning?"

"Sure, Dom," String smiled at his friend. "I was able to keep my feelings about her a secret for _six months_ last year,wasn't I? Another day won't be a problem," Hawke replied with a grin of his own. Of course, Dominic recalled the six months prior to String's admission last Christmas. _Probably the worst six months of Cait's life, _Dom recalled, as he remembered having to comfort Caitlin more than once, due to Hawke's seeming ignorance of her feelings.

"I remember that, String," Dom answered. "There was a time I thought I was gonna have to _beat_ those old feelings outta you!" Hawke smiled back at his old friend, knowing that those days were the past. _Now, I'm concentrating on the future, _Hawke smiled to himself. "Y'know, String – I've been meaning to ask you—what exactly was it that changed your mind about Cait?"

"Oh, a lot of things, really; starting with the way she looked at me when she rescued me from Horn," Hawke said with a slight grimace, as he recalled the fight the two of them had before Caitlin was able to inject him with the chemicals to counteract the brainwashing drugs Horn had used on him. "I at least know one thing—not to get her angry at me! But, there was a look on her face when I came around...a look I'd never seen there before. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that she thought of me as more than just a friend. Then, of course, the comment you told me she made, when you were talking with Michael about rescuing me."

Dominic did recall that conversation. Caitlin had just announced to both himself and Archangel, "We gotta get the Lady," and Dom had immediately tried to stop her. "Not _we. ME! _The instructions say _me," _Dominic had said. Caitlin had looked him dead in the eyes and replied, "Dom. Don't do that to me. I care about him too, you know. _Probably more than you know._" Those last four words confirmed to Dom what he'd come to suspect over the course of the previous few months—that Caitlin had begun to see Hawke as something more than a friend, even if _he_ didn't return the favor.

"Yeah, she was pretty adamant about coming along," Dom agreed. "And, of course, remember what she said when we went to _find_ Horn," Dom recalled.

"Yeah. _'I've got dibs on Angelica,'" _Hawke said. "I never did understand what she meant by that...until now."

By this time, Caitlin had come back from the mailbox, and asked what Hawke and Dom were discussing. "Oh, nothing," Hawke had replied, but Cait didn't buy a word of it. _I know you guys were talking about something, and I'm betting it has something to do with Hawke's mood the last couple of days. Well, tomorrow's another day, I suppose._

The next morning, Hawke met Caitlin and Dom at the hangar just before Sister Monica arrived with Bobby's youth group. "Hi, String! Hi, Cait!" Bobby hollered as he ran over to hug his friends.

"Hey, Bobby," Hawke replied.

"String...doesn't Caitlin look pretty again?"

"Oh, Bobby, you know she always looks pretty," Hawke said with a grin. _But today, she looks especially beautiful, _Hawke admitted. Knowing that, just like last year, the hangar would close once the group was done with Santa, Caitlin had chosen to dress up again, and even given herself a new hairstyle, one that String had to acknowledge made her more beautiful than ever. _And, I want to see it just like that the day I marry her, _he resolved to tell her as he went to check on "Santa."

"You just about ready there, Santa?" Hawke kidded his friend.

"Just about, String. My question is...are _you_ ready?"

He fingered the ring box, still in the pocket of his bomber jacket. "More ready than I've ever been in my life," he replied. "I'm just wondering why I didn't do this a long time ago," he added.

"'Cause you were too stubborn to admit how you felt, that's why!" Dom replied with a smile as he finished adjusting his beard before walking out the office door to the cheers of the assembled group of kids. Bobby let one of his friends go first, since he'd jumped in "Santa's" lap last year before anybody else could, but when he got his turn, he gave Santa his own list of Christmas wishes, then allowed the next child their turn.

After about two hours, and a cheerful round of goodbyes from Bobby, Sister Monica took the group back to the church where their parents would pick them up, and "Santa" noticed Caitlin looking apprehensive, just like last year, although he figured she was wondering where Hawke had disappeared to.

"Now don't tell me you've got another Christmas wish you're afraid to tell Santa about," he stated loudly. Sighing with resignation and embarrassment, Cait walked over and sat down on Santa's lap.

"Yeah, Santa...I do. It's...about String, again. There's something else I want to hear from him...something very special...even more special than my wish from last year. By the way," she added, giving Santa a quick peck on the cheek, "thank you. I never told you that wish came true."

"Oh, I knew it had," "Santa" replied. "I can see all, you know. And I know you've been a real good girl this year, so I think your wish is gonna come true. Soon," he continued as he saw Hawke come into the hangar.

When Caitlin looked up and saw Hawke, the first thing she noticed was that he was fully dressed in a tuxedo, and carried a bouquet of roses in his hand, which he handed to Caitlin with a smile. Caitlin stood up and took the flowers, then noticed Hawke put his hand in the pocket of his dinner jacket, even as he dropped to one knee. Caitlin's eyes flooded with tears, as she realized her Christmas wish was about to come true.

"Caitlin O'Shannessy, I love you more than words can say, and I want the whole world to know it. Caitlin, will you marry me?" He opened the box, and revealed the diamond engagement ring as Caitlin stepped back and allowed him to stand up, remove the ring from its box, and place it on her left hand. "Oh, yes, String. Yes, I will marry you!" she answered him, just before she drew him in for a passionate kiss, which "Santa" took as a perfect opportunity to walk back to the office to change.

When they separated, Caitlin glanced down at the ring she wore. "Thank you, String. You've made another Christmas wish come true...and I love you, so very much," she told him before she embraced him again.

"And, I'll keep on making those Christmas wishes come true, Caitlin, for the rest of our lives," he promised, as he drew her in for another passionate kiss, just as Dominic walked out of the office.

"Hey, you lovebirds! What the heck are you doing?" Dom demanded as he approached the pair.

Caitlin broke the kiss and simply extended her left hand, displaying the ring she wore. Dom, pretending not to know what had happened, shouted, "Congratulations, Cait! And you too, String!" Dominic knew he'd never tell Cait about how he and Hawke had planned the whole thing, but he had to smile as he saw his surrogate son, and the woman he'd come to love like his own daughter, standing there in each other's arms, and more in love than he'd ever seen two people in his life. "So? How long of an engagement are you thinking?" _Please don't tell me another year,_ Dom said to himself. _I'm not sure Cait could wait that long...and _**I**_ don't want her too!_

"Oh, a couple of months. Not too long, though – I want to marry her just as soon as possible," Hawke replied, as he glanced down at Caitlin. He knew from her expression that she would have just as soon married him tomorrow, but he wanted her to have a dream wedding, and that would take time to plan. _After all, we're only going to get married once, _Hawke smiled to himself. _But truth be told, _Hawke admitted to himself, _I'm as excited about this as Cait is. _When they went back up to the cabin that night, Hawke knew in his heart that he'd made the right decision. He knew that the next two months would be full of activity as they made all the plans and arrangements, and before they both knew it, their wedding day would be here. The day they would become Mr. and Mrs. Stringfellow Hawke.


End file.
